speedvegan

Southwestern Black Bean Soup, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I had the best black bean soup in Mount Dora. I tried to make something like it at home. It didn’t turn out the same, but I liked it enough to post the recipe.

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 vidalia onion, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp bar-b-q sauce
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
16 oz veggie stock
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper (to taste)

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat.

2. Saute onion, pepper and garlic for 3-4 minutes, or until tender.

3. Stir in bar-b-q sauce, black beans, chili powder, coriander, cumin, and oregano.

4. Add the veggie stock, vinegar and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

6. Serve immediately with vegan sour cream. Garnish with parsley.

We had this with a Greek Salad. I know it’s an odd combo, but it worked.

back on track this week. i was still in pain, but had time to rest between workouts so i just worked though it. i wanted to get more (a lot more) swimming in this week, but the pool was freakin’ crowded every single time. allow me to rant about that. olympic pools, especifically ones found in gyms/fitness clubs, are for swimming. if you’re not swimming, kindly position your body by the edge of the “slow” lane and stay out of the way of those who are actually trying to swim. thank you !

friday 09.22:
rest day

saturday 09.23:
30 min elliptical @ gym
strength training: upper body

sunday 09.24:
30 mile bike ride

monday 09.25:
1 hr spin class
strength training: upper body

tuesday 09.26:
30 min elliptical @ gym

wednesday 09.27:
1 hr spin class

thursday 09.28:
1000 meter swim

bad week in speedvegan land. all the social responsibilities and knee pain called for more rest days than i normally allow myself, but (in my whiniest voice) “i’m still in recovery.” ugh.

friday 09.15:
rest day

saturday 09.16:
rest

sunday 09.17:
rest

monday 09.18:
1 hr spin class
strength training: upper body

tuesday 09.19:
rest

wednesday 09.20:
1 hr spin class
600 meter swim

thursday 09.21:
8 mile bike ride

i tried to bump up my training a bit this week, but my knee did not cooperate. i think i took one step forward and about 100 back as far as my recovery goes. i will have to go back to the doctor sometime next week. hopefully he will suggest more physical therapy. i think this time it was the “let’s try a different spin class” experiment that did it. although the class wasn’t difficult by any means, the instructor seemed to be possessed by evil spirits. her class lacked structure and organization. she focused on speed rather than form which is not good when you’re trying to recover from an injury. mea culpa. lesson learned.

friday 09.08:
rest day

saturday 09.09:
20 min elliptical @ gym
500 meter swim

sunday 09.10:
22 mile bike ride

monday 09.11:
45 min spin class
strength training: abs

tuesday 09.12:
rest

wednesday 09.13:
1 hr spin class

thursday 09.14:
30 min elliptical @ gym
500 meter swim

Ginger Sesame Noodles, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I was torn between pasta and yet another stir fry. So I made noodles. Yum…

1 head broccoli, in florets
8 oz buckwheat noodles
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
8 oz seitan, in strips
sesame seeds, for garnish

Sauce:
2 tbsp tahihi
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp chili oil
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
2 tbsp water

1. To make sauce, combine tahini, tamari, agave nectar, chili oil, vegan Worcestershire sauce, brown rice vinegar and water. Set aside.

2. Steam broccoli for about 5 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

3. Cook noodles according to package directions. Set aside.

4. In large pan, saute garlic and ginger in sesame oil over medium-high heat.

5. Add seitan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn heat off and stir in sauce, noodles and broccoli. Serve immediately. Garnish with sesame seeds.

I think the vegan Worcestershire sauce is the key ingredient. I totally forgot to use lime juice this time, but will definitely try it next time.

my morning seemed bizarre from the moment i opened my eyes yesterday. i was scheduled for a doctor’s appointment so i got to sleep more than usual and Jose’s back was still out so he was heavily medicated and very much passed out. i went through my usual morning routine, grabbed my gym bag, computer bag, lunch bag, purse, water bottle, keys and then there i stood on an empty parking spot. was i dreaming ? one 360 degree turn. two 360 degree turn. still no sign of my car. i went back inside and said to Jose “my car’s gone.” heavily medicated and all, he got up and walked outside to see for himself. yup. gone. stolen.

it was like deja vu… police report, insurance claim, etc… the rest of the day was just as bizarre, but what can i say ? i’m still alive and i hope my insurance company doesn’t drop me.

i kept thinking of that cheesy ‘bad day’ song. yes, you know the one:

Cause you had a bad day, you’re taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don’t know, you tell me don’t lie
You work on a smile and you go for a ride

unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, so i went to a spin class instead.

Green Thai Curry, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Lately, I’ve been making some of the same old dishes or haven’t been motivated to measure ingredients/take photos so I am very happy to finally blog food again ! I spent too much time indoors this weekend. Jose tore a back muscle and hasn’t been able to move since Friday night. I’ve been making yummy breakfasts and dinners for him because I know what a drag it is to be hurt and I’m actually feeling a lot better these days. Here’s what i made tonight. It’s not very creative, but it was yummy.

4 tbsp peanut oil
16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
bragg liquid aminos
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 cup light coconut milk
1 tsp green curry paste
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup snow peas
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1. Heat 2 tbsp of the peanut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.

2. Cut tofu into cubes or triangles and spray with braggs.

3. Place tofu pieces in pan. Cook until golden-brown. Set aside.

4. In the same pan, heat the remaining peanut oil over medium heat.

5. Saute garlic and ginger for a minute. Add onion and cook for another 2 minutes or until tender.

6. In a small bowl, combine coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice and agave nectar.

7. Place sauce in pan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and stir in the peppers, snow peas and cooked tofu pieces. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

8. Turn heat off and stir in the basil leaves. Leave covered for another 3 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

I enjoyed this very much. I made a red curry earlier this week and that was a bit too spicy. This one was just right !

i am done with physical therapy for now. the therapist gave me a home exercise program, but it’s been hard for me to follow through with it. i wanted my sports doctor to suggest more sessions, but he was having a bad day when i saw him this week. i enjoyed several short rides this week. i think my confidence and strength on the bike is definitely improving.

friday 09.01:
rest day

saturday 09.02:
rest

sunday 09.03:
5.5 mile bike ride

monday 09.04:
20 mile bike ride

tuesday 09.05:
30 min elliptical @ gym
strength training: upper body

wednesday 09.06:
rest

thursday 09.07:
12 mile bike ride

Jose and i went to Mount Dora in the central part of Florida for Labor Day weekend. those of you familiar with the area know there isn’t much of anything around there. so why would i, the city girl who can’t live more than 2 miles from the ocean, decide to go there for a long weekend ?? hills ! yes, my friends. there are hills in Florida.

i first heard of Mount Dora from some cycling friends at my bike shop. they had been there for Bikefest, a bike festival Mount Dora hosts every Fall. as soon as i heard about it, i decided i wanted to try it but somehow i never got around to it.

after my accident, i seriously started considering moving somewhere i could ride my bike without constant fear. i have friends that do group rides on my bike course every Tuesday and Thursday of the week. every week, there is some type of wreck, someone goes down, or someone gets injured. it’s scary. as i kept reading about Mount Dora, i learned that it was a bike friendly community all year round !

so off to Mount Dora we went with my new tri bike, which i hate, but that is a topic for a different post. we stayed at the Adora Inn and had the most wonderful experience. they made delicious vegan oatmeal with fruit for me every morning and were very considerate of my food choices. i definitely recommend this B&B if you’re ever in the area.

we were fortunate to find a, not only veggie, but vegan-freindly restaurant nearby. it wasn’t a hole in the wall either. it was literally one of the nicest restaurants in town. when we thanked the owner for having vegan options on the menu, she replied that we shouldn’t be limited to salads and pastas just because we’re vegetarian. i was very impressed.

on Sunday, Jose and i drove around some of the bike routes i had read about as well as some others our hosts at the B&B had recommended. i fell in love with the town. unfortunately, my first ride was cut short by a bad rain storm. i was only able to do about 5 miles. determined to ride some of the hills, i got up early on Monday, got on my bike and took off again.

about five minutes into my ride, i met a cyclist. we started talking and it turned out we were planning to ride the same route. he used to race in the late 80′s when he was a junior and actually raced against George Hincappie one year. unfortunately, he never made it pro and gave up cycling completely once in his 20′s. in fact, he just picked up cycling again a few weeks ago. we rode for about 20 miles. he was very nice and told me about many other roads and hills to train on. he even rode back to the B&B with me to make sure i didn’t get lost.

i thought that was very nice of him. i wrote to thank him and received this reply:

“Thank YOU for slowing down enough for me to keep up, yet still challenge me. It was a great ride for me! I would surely advance as a rider much more quickly if I had a riding partner around here like you.”

i can’t even tell you how great i felt after reading that. i felt challenged by him as well. it’s funny how people motivate each other sometimes without noticing it.

unfortunately, i was too busy enjoying my trip to properly “memorex” Mount Dora. however, i am going back for Bikefest in October and will definitely take photos then.

i’ve been dreading this post because the past two weeks have been embarrassing. Jose and i went away the first weekend listed below. sitting in the car for such a long time was terrible for my knee so i didn’t work out even though i had packed plenty of gym clothes. the rest of the week was pretty lame. as physical therapy got tougher, i decided to skip my regular workout on those days. i wanted to get a swim in on wednesday, but we had some unexpected guests. i miss swimming !!

friday 08.18:
rest day

saturday 08.19:
rest

sunday 08.20:
rest

monday 08.21:
1hr spin class

tuesday 08.22:
physical therapy: cardio warmup, upper and lower body strength exercises, stability exercises

wednesday 08.23:
rest

thursday 08.24:
physical therapy: cardio warmup, upper and lower body strength exercises, stability exercises

the next week was pretty much the same. i was with my parents all weekend and didn’t get to do much. sitting for a long time and walking too much wasn’t good for my knee so i was in a lot of pain. my spin class on monday was brutal. i also felt sad (although a bit relieved) because tuesday was my last day of physical therapy. in a way i wish i could keep going. i feel like it really helps. if i don’t have someone constantly telling me to “slow down” i tend to push myself too hard. unfortunately, i don’t feel good about having to miss work either so i need to keep a balanced training routine during the next few weeks/months.

friday 08.25:
rest day

saturday 08.26:
rest

sunday 08.27:
rest

monday 08.28:
1hr spin class

tuesday 08.29:
physical therapy: cardio warmup, upper and lower body strength exercises, stability exercises

wednesday 08.30:
rest

thursday 08.31:
rest